PlainCollege

State profile · 20 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Hawaii

Colleges in Hawaii from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

20
Colleges
$43,778
Avg 10-yr earnings (16 of 20)
77.8%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Hawaii · the picture in one line

Hawaii's 16 of 20 colleges that report earnings average $43,778 in 10-year former-student earnings - 27th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#27
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$59,593
top earnings - Hawaii Pacific University
77.8%
avg acceptance (7 reporting)
10 / 5 / 5
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Hawaii colleges with reported figures: University of Hawaii-West Oahu.

Hawaii · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa leads by undergraduate enrollment (15,029 students, #1 of 16) but ranks #2 of 16 on 10-year median earnings ($57,624), while Hawaii Pacific University tops earnings at $59,593 (#1 of 16) with 2,392 students (#6 of 16). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

15,029
University of enrollment #1
$59,593
Hawaii Pacific earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#2
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Hawaii's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Hawaii at Manoa is largest by enrollment; Hawaii Pacific University leads on 10-year earnings at $59,593.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Hawaii returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Hawaii as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Hawaii by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Hawaii

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Hawaii colleges: earnings vs. cost

Hawaii colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Hawaii colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $29K $63K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $4K $32K Avg Net Price ($) University of Hawaii at Manoa: $58K earn · $16K net · 63% grad University of Hawa… Kapiolani Community College: $45K earn · $5K net · 21% grad Kapiolani Communit… Leeward Community College: $40K earn · $5K net · 33% grad Leeward Community … Brigham Young University-Hawaii: $52K earn · $17K net · 54% grad Brigham Young Univ… University of Hawaii-West Oahu: $52K earn · $10K net · 48% grad University of Hawa… Hawaii Pacific University: $60K earn · $30K net · 38% grad Hawaii Pacific Uni… University of Hawaii at Hilo: $48K earn · $12K net · 45% grad Honolulu Community College: $45K earn · $7K net · 30% grad University of Hawaii Maui College: $34K earn · $8K net · 28% grad Chaminade University of Honolulu: $52K earn · $29K net · 57% grad Hawaii Community College: $35K earn · $9K net · 32% grad Windward Community College: $38K earn · $8K net · 30% grad Kauai Community College: $37K earn · $10K net · 37% grad Hawaii Medical College: $39K earn · $30K net · 75% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Hawaii ranks among the states

Hawaii's average 10-year earnings of $43,778 place it in the 54th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Hawaii: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$43,778 Top 46% higher than 54% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). This entry sits in this band. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. HI $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Hawaii vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Hawaii

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Hawaii

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
20
Total Schools
$11,136
Avg In-State Tuition (16 of 20)
77.8%
Avg Acceptance Rate (7 of 20)
$43,778
Avg Median Earnings (16 of 20)
10 Public 5 Private NP 5 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Hawaii

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 20 postsecondary institutions in Hawaii. The ownership mix is 10 public institutions, 5 private nonprofits, and 5 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 16 of 20 Hawaii institutions that report one is $11,136, and the average admission rate among the 7 that report one sits at 77.8%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 16 of 20 Hawaii colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $43,778, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Hawaii

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu Public 15,029 86.6% $57,624
Kapiolani Community College Honolulu Public 3,910 - $44,599
Leeward Community College Pearl City Public 3,438 - $39,899
Brigham Young University-Hawaii Laie Private NP 2,889 47.0% $52,064
University of Hawaii-West Oahu Kapolei Public 2,519 95.3% $52,075
Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu Private NP 2,392 85.9% $59,593
University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo Public 2,160 60.6% $47,856
Honolulu Community College Honolulu Public 1,897 - $45,105
University of Hawaii Maui College Kahului Public 1,700 - $34,453
Chaminade University of Honolulu Honolulu Private NP 1,672 91.4% $52,343
Hawaii Community College Hilo Public 1,546 - $34,891
Windward Community College Kaneohe Public 1,159 - $38,439
Kauai Community College Lihue Public 716 - $36,868
Hawaii Medical College Honolulu For-Profit 194 - $38,880
Pacific Rim Christian University Honolulu Private NP 129 - $40,523
Hawaii Institute of Hair Design Honolulu For-Profit 85 - $25,235
Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy Honolulu For-Profit 50 - -
Hawaii Tokai International College Kapolei Private NP 24 77.8% -
Mauna Loa Helicopters Kailua Kona For-Profit 12 - -
Institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Honolulu For-Profit - - -

Featured Colleges in Hawaii

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI
15,029 students
Kapiolani Community College
Honolulu, HI
3,910 students
Leeward Community College
Pearl City, HI
3,438 students
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, HI
2,889 students
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
Kapolei, HI
2,519 students
Compare University of Hawaii at Manoa vs Kapiolani Community College →

Explore more Hawaii data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Hawaii applicants

  • Hawaii has 20 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Hawaii colleges is 77.8% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.